Another boat buillder gone bust ?

[WJM]

"Rubbish - good companies, by definition, don't go bust" is the most complacent and nonsensical comment I believe I have ever read."

 

 

If we define a good company as one that trades successfully, continuously, adapts to changes in the market place and avoids the pitfalls that might destroy it - then then how could a good company go bust? My suggestion is that if you do not do all of the above then you are, by definition, a bad company. The buck stops at the owners door, nowhere else.

 

 

--------------------------------------------------

 

"That is utter nonsence the majority of businesses borrow"

 

There is nothing wrong with borrowing - but there is a lot wrong with exposing the entire well-being of your business to the vagaries of a bank. A good example is factoring (invoice discounting). A lot of companies are going bust now because their factoring company has backed out on them. Becoming dependent on factoring is commercial suicide, as discovered by so many recently. By all means use it in a controlled manner to address a particular need, but to hang your company's entire survival on it is stupidity.

 

 

-------------------------------------------------

 

The core part of what I am saying is 'You make your own luck'. If you want to lower your testicles into a vice, don't be surprised when they are cut off. And don't blame the vice operator, it is your fault for exposing them. People need to learn this, stupid in - stupid out.

Edited February 12, 2009 by WJM

[Jon Martin]

I've been trying to reach our boat builder for a while without success and decided just to check on companies house web site, it states they are in liquidation as of late Dec. They still have an answer phone message on their number and the web site is still running. They build us a nice boat and some great people worked there, its a damm shame.

 

Les

 

Hi les, we also had a boat built by lambon, after we emailed you, they built us a lovely sail-away in the end as we couldn't affoed a fully finished one.

Why is it that the good guys go first, during our build we were always made to feel welcome, and the price we agreed was the price we paid, unlike some other builders who sting you for the extras. not just a damn shame but a crying shame, hope they re-appear again - it does happen!

 

Jon.

[mikevye]

Pizza Express has been doing a lot of "offers" in the last 2 months - one was buy two meals and the dearer of the two was free (January). The next is current - garlic bread OR dough Balls, one pizza and a glass of wine for £10. A guy who works at Pizza Express told me they lose on these offers but hope people who go in to take advantage of them will keep going back. When I asked "Do they" he told me, when the next offer comes along.

 

So yes, they're packed. But it doesn't mean they're doing well. Nor is it a good model for A W_T to follow.

 

Also your comment "Rubbish - good companies, by definition, don't go bust" is the most complacent and nonsensical comment I believe I have ever read.

 

Stickleback.

 

Self employed in a former life I worked on the basis that I'd rather do nothing than something for nothing because they'd still come back moaning if they had aproblem!

[mrsmelly]

"Plastic boats are mass produced by big companies, so they can survive,"

 

 

 

More rubbish.

 

I have a friend who makes exquisite hand crafted racing canoes from vacuum carbon kevlar epoxy, real specialist bespoke stuff. I think he employs three. But he also bashes out GRP bus seats, engine housings and the rear ends of hearses. He is very proud of his racing canoes, but not so proud that he is going to hang his entire business on one market. The size of a company means nothing in terms of its ability to survive, if anything, a big size works against survival.

 

Wjm

 

I know not who u r but I know u r clueless. It is not possible for ALL business,s to simply diversify like your buddy with his workforce. For instance I am a small business its called a driving school many driving schools large and small r going to the wall or suffering thro no fault of their own its just a fact that most lessons r paid for by parents and many parents countrywide find themselves without work at the moment so hey presto no work no money for the kids to learn to drive safely. I am surviving but I am doing less then previous years. Oh and before u say something silly like be a taxi then, legislation does not allow. Driving schools are strictly monitered. So you see GOOD and BAD can go to the wall thro no fault of their own.

 

Regards

 

Tim

[Naughty Cal]

Wjm

 

I know not who u r but I know u r clueless. It is not possible for ALL business,s to simply diversify like your buddy with his workforce. For instance I am a small business its called a driving school many driving schools large and small r going to the wall or suffering thro no fault of their own its just a fact that most lessons r paid for by parents and many parents countrywide find themselves without work at the moment so hey presto no work no money for the kids to learn to drive safely. I am surviving but I am doing less then previous years. Oh and before u say something silly like be a taxi then, legislation does not allow. Driving schools are strictly monitered. So you see GOOD and BAD can go to the wall thro no fault of their own.

 

Regards

 

Tim

 

Advanced driver training is the answer to your problems.

[WJM]

If the market shrinks by half, then make sure you are in the half of suppliers who will survive. Otherwise, take your cue and get out. Diversify. Perhaps your core skill is not driving but teaching, teach something else. You can stand waiting for the piano to fall on your head or you can start running. You make the choice. But it is that choice that separates the good businesses from the bad.

[stickleback]

If the market shrinks by half, then make sure you are in the half of suppliers who will survive. Otherwise, take your cue and get out. Diversify. Perhaps your core skill is not driving but teaching, teach something else. You can stand waiting for the piano to fall on your head or you can start running. You make the choice. But it is that choice that separates the good businesses from the bad.

 

 

Yawn, yawn, yawn.

 

Stickleback

[mrsmelly]

Advanced driver training is the answer to your problems.

 

Hi Philys

 

I am an advanced driver trainer I am also trained in Pursuit tactics etc and do get some work there but it is a very small market and many r doing it. It is also a sad fact that most uk drivers dont care they pass a very basic test at age 17 and never take any more instruction and gradualy become worst drivers as the years go by but survive mainly on experience rather than excellence. Any way I am finishing this year I have been putting a new venture together over the last year and we finaly got planning approval so systems r go from about June.

ps Did think ur boat was pretty.

 

Regards

 

Tim

[Naughty Cal]

Hi Philys

 

I am an advanced driver trainer I am also trained in Pursuit tactics etc and do get some work there but it is a very small market and many r doing it. It is also a sad fact that most uk drivers dont care they pass a very basic test at age 17 and never take any more instruction and gradualy become worst drivers as the years go by but survive mainly on experience rather than excellence. Any way I am finishing this year I have been putting a new venture together over the last year and we finaly got planning approval so systems r go from about June.

ps Did think ur boat was pretty.

 

Regards

 

Tim

 

Ah just trying to help. My old driving instructor did the Advanced driver training and now trains fleet drivers.

 

Good luck with the "new venture"

 

PS: Thanks

[WJM]

"Yawn, yawn, yawn."

 

Not nearly as tiresome as listening to the popular tabloid belief that 'the banks' are just waiting to save us all, if only they can be convinced to do so.

 

 

 

And well done that man for sidestepping the falling piano of commercial failure. Good luck with your new venture.

Edited February 12, 2009 by WJM

[mrsmelly]

Ah just trying to help. My old driving instructor did the Advanced driver training and now trains fleet drivers.

 

Good luck with the "new venture"

 

PS: Thanks

 

 

[Neil TNC]

A basin which is even more difficult to urinate in when your cassette is full is not funky, by any description.

 

Ssssh!...We don't talk about that!

[bastonjock]

ive been told by a friend that Fairline are going to lay off another 150 soon.

 

ive tried to diversify,i have worked on Horse boxes,i am hoping to get a big workshop to wire up and i have both fingers crossed that things will pick up in March,the car industry had always been quiet in Jan and Feb,but if its going to be this quiet all year,i may as well pack it in and go and work as a self employed technician.

 

This economic mess will take out good companies as well as the bad ones,the question as i see is is when to jump,im not going to hang around and earn pennies whilst i can go and earn pounds.

 

I had a delivery today and i consider it part of running my business to check up on what the other guys are doing,they are all scraping along too.

 

Companys that are doing agressive marketing at present are filling empty seats but at a cost,when you work out the "cost of goods sold" a lot of the larger businesses are making no proffit as they are discounting to the knuckle.I bet that pizza hut are running at a loss,so when you are running at a loss its only a matter of time before the bank account runs dry.

 

I wanted to sell up my houses two years ago,my wife did not believe me that as i put it then"a bad ressesson maybee even a depression" is on the way,i told a lot of people that i thought we were heading to financial calamity. I started to cut overheads two years ago,ive reduced my costs by 60% and that may not be enough.

 

There a lot of businesses around this estate that are in trouble,when you have a leased premises,you cannot just leave the building,you have to pay off the lease first,a lot of young companies will suffer badly.

 

So you loose a market and then you diversify into another,the problem is that every business out there is doing the same thing,so in order to break into a new market,you sell yourself at a lower cost to the new client and thus make less margin.

 

The other one doing the rounds at the moment is that your suppliers who are very nervous are cutting your line of credit in half,and your clients have told you that payment terms have gone from 30 days to 60 days or in some cases 120 days.

 

bring on the soup kitchens

[Ex- Member]

ive been told by a friend that Fairline are going to lay off another 150 soon.

 

ive tried to diversify,i have worked on Horse boxes,i am hoping to get a big workshop to wire up and i have both fingers crossed that things will pick up in March,the car industry had always been quiet in Jan and Feb,but if its going to be this quiet all year,i may as well pack it in and go and work as a self employed technician.

 

This economic mess will take out good companies as well as the bad ones,the question as i see is is when to jump,im not going to hang around and earn pennies whilst i can go and earn pounds.

 

I had a delivery today and i consider it part of running my business to check up on what the other guys are doing,they are all scraping along too.

 

Companys that are doing agressive marketing at present are filling empty seats but at a cost,when you work out the "cost of goods sold" a lot of the larger businesses are making no proffit as they are discounting to the knuckle.I bet that pizza hut are running at a loss,so when you are running at a loss its only a matter of time before the bank account runs dry.

 

I wanted to sell up my houses two years ago,my wife did not believe me that as i put it then"a bad ressesson maybee even a depression" is on the way,i told a lot of people that i thought we were heading to financial calamity. I started to cut overheads two years ago,ive reduced my costs by 60% and that may not be enough.

 

There a lot of businesses around this estate that are in trouble,when you have a leased premises,you cannot just leave the building,you have to pay off the lease first,a lot of young companies will suffer badly.

 

So you loose a market and then you diversify into another,the problem is that every business out there is doing the same thing,so in order to break into a new market,you sell yourself at a lower cost to the new client and thus make less margin.

 

The other one doing the rounds at the moment is that your suppliers who are very nervous are cutting your line of credit in half,and your clients have told you that payment terms have gone from 30 days to 60 days or in some cases 120 days.

 

bring on the soup kitchens

 

Some good points made, especially with regard to leases, although we have incorporated get out clauses, if you're a year off one and have to liquidate, in our case we would owe in excess of 40K so struggling through at a small loss could be reducing that possible debt if you keep the payments up ok.

 

We have now emptied 40% of the warehouse to get some rate relief for 6 months, in the meantime trying to let the space. It's ok for those to say well just diversify, in reality you can't and what do you do with an empty warehouse when others around you are emptying as well

 

Would make a great soup kitchen though

[bastonjock]

if there is one cheque that i hate to write ,it is that one for the rates.I managed to move out of my Larger unit at the end of my 5 year lease,i am on a two month get out

 

The bit that i find hard at the moment is that the big landlord companies, i.e. Banks and pension funds, are still expecting people to put up their homes as Guarantee on the lease.

 

as for diversifying,after reading the news about mitten crabs,do you think that there is a market for them? cant imaging dragging a net behind my boat though

[Billypownall]

Another web site mentions that Triton of Eccles Manchester are in trouble. Does anyone know anything about this?

[Dominic M]

Another web site mentions that Triton of Eccles Manchester are in trouble. Does anyone know anything about this?

Click

[Milburn Boats Ltd]

I've been trying to reach our boat builder for a while without success and decided just to check on companies house web site, it states they are in liquidation as of late Dec. They still have an answer phone message on their number and the web site is still running. They build us a nice boat and some great people worked there, its a damm shame.

 

Les

 

Lambon Hull are still in business!

They have scaled down production, but are still building shells. We have just taken delivery of their latest hull for one of our customers (delivered Feb. 2009). Progress on fit-out can be viewed from our website: www.milburnboats.co.uk

The finished boat will be at Crick Boat Show. Come and see us there in May

Edited February 20, 2009 by Milburn Boats Ltd